Movistar strikes exclusive distribution deal for Disney+ in Spain

Disney has signed an exclusive deal with Telefónica for its Movistar service to distribute Disney+ in Spain.

The announcement is not a surprise, given Telefónica’s long-standing relationship with Disney, during which the Mouse House has launched a dedicated Movistar channel along with pop-ups for Disney-Pixar and VOD content. The latter will now be a part of the Disney+ offer.

Emilio Gayo, Telefónica Spain CEO, said: “After years of a strong relationship between Telefónica and Disney, we are excited to announce this alliance.

“Disney Plus enriches the experience of Movistar customers, with exceptional storytelling from five incredible Disney brands. This agreement reinforces our strategy of always offering our customers the best original content.”

Jan Koeppen, president, The Walt Disney Company EMEA: “We’re delighted to have Telefónica on board for the launch of Disney+. This marks an exciting new era of entertainment featuring premium content across our portfolio of brands, and we can’t wait for Movistar customers to experience it.”

Broader than just a distribution deal, Variety reports that this announcement opens the door for co-productions between Disney+ and Movistar+. It says that Disney is “actively pursuing” such a strategy through partnerships with the likes of Studiocanal and Atresmedia Studios.

The Movistar deal comes hot off the heels of deals signed in the UK with Sky and in Italy with TIM.

Disney+ is set for launch in Spain on March 24. Telefónica said that it will give details of Disney+’s product and commercial integration “in the next few days.”